SAM 2-6-1

Section : CONTRIBUTIONS WHILE ON LEAVE WITHOUT PAY (LWOP)

Subsection : | CURRENT SERVICE WITHOUT PAY

RULE 1

The amount of contributions required to be paid is the amount the plan member would have paid if he had not been absent or, in some cases, twice that amount.

RULE 2

The amount of contributions required for periods of LWOP depends on the length of the leave and the reason for the absence.

The plan member has to pay at either single rate (amount of contributions that would have been paid if had not been absent) or double rate (double the amount that would have been paid if had not been absent).

Note 1

• For periods of LWOP, the employer (government or Crown corporations) also contributes an amount, over and above the plan member’s contribution, at a rate determined by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) each year. The contribution rates for periods of LWOP (single or double rate) can be found in SAM 2-6-3 and 2-6-4.
  • Note: The employer’s contribution rates for single and double rates on current contributions, LWOP and past service election are found in SAM 2-5-1.
• When a plan member who has been on LWOP returns to duty on "rehabilitation", he is considered to have returned to duty on the date on which he returns to work, even though he may be working fewer than the number of normal hours of work for his position.
• When a plan member on educational leave is in receipt of an education allowance during the period of leave, the period is considered LWOP for pension purposes.
• When a plan member is on leave with income averaging (LIA), the actual leave period is considered LWOP for pension purposes, even though the employee is in receipt of salary during the period of leave.
• Contributions for periods of unauthorized LWOP (e.g. strike, suspension) are not required. In addition, these periods are not counted as pensionable service.
• Contributions for periods of LWOP granted to an employee for the purpose of accepting other employment in the Public Service are not required if he becomes a contributor in his new position.
• In all cases of transfers between departments, Crown corporations and/or agencies, the "transfer out employer" must ensure that the "transfer in employer" receives clear and accurate LWOP records.

Note 2 :

As of November 28, 2011, the Public Service Pension Centre (Pension Centre) is responsible for all LWOP activities, including providing advice to employees, calculating deficiencies and processing required documentation.

When plan members inquire about LWOP, the compensation advisor should direct them to the "Your Public Service Pension and Benefits" Web portal where plan members can obtain detailed information on LWOP, as well as the contact information for the Pension Centre, if further information is required.

Last Update: November 2011

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